Chief Superintendent: 100 teaching positions may be saved

As CAPSC has learned over the last several months, the budget process is complex, fluid,and subject to change once all the pieces start coming together. One of our commitments to membership is to keep them up-to-date with information that is timely and accurate as possible. From last night's meeting of the board, the Chief Superintendent's report.....

Over the last two months, the Calgary Board of Education has been grappling
with a $61.7 million budget shortfall. We have a legal and fiscal responsibility
to balance the budget. When three‐quarters of our operating budget is
salaries and benefits—and three‐quarters of our budget goes to schools—we
cannot absorb $61.7 million without affecting people, schools and students.
Since the budget was announced Feb. 24, the CBE has been calculating and
communicating the impact. Our initial estimates are proving to be quite
accurate.

Tonight, as we bring forward a report for approval to proceed with an early
release of resources to facilitate staffing at schools, I would like to connect our
initial estimates to the revised figures. You will see that the impact on schools
is better than initially communicated. Instead of a 2.1 per cent increase in the
RAM, the increase will be 3.0 per cent.

As you know, our proposal to close the budget gap involves using an
estimated $12 million of reserves and two phases that affect services,
programs, employees and students in classrooms.

The first phase was introduced on March 22. It involves a redesign of central
services to save at least $24.9 million. This phase eliminates the equivalent of
172 full‐time positions.

On March 22, we also made a promise to keep students first by asking schools
to contribute last.

Initially, we estimated schools would be asked to absorb $24.8 million. As we
distribute the RAM, the outcome for schools is slightly better than estimated
You may remember this equation from March.

$61.7M shortfall - central service redesign = impact on school RAM

Starting with the shortfall, if you subtract the initial reductions from
centralized services, you have the impact on schools. By continually working
the problem, we have lessened the impact on schools.

$61.7M shortall - $24.9M central service redesign = impact on school RAM
First, we proposed to deplete our remaining reserves.

$61.7M shortfall - $24.9M central service redesign - $12M reserves = impact on school RAM

Second, with the RAM, principals will be asked to apply all school‐based
reserves to mitigate staff reductions. The estimated $2.7 million could mean
we save about 38 positions in schools.

In addition, we have $800,000 in operating reserves and $3.0 million from an
amortization reserve. The amortization reserve was confirmed by finalizing
our board‐funded capital budget.

Together, these represent $6.5 million more than the original reserve
estimate.

Essentially, we propose using $18.5 million of reserves.

$61.7M shortfall - $24.9M central service redesign - $18M reserves = impact on school RAM

Third, administration dug deeper to finding additional gains in central services
to further reduce the impact on schools. Administration has come up with a
net $3.9 million between reductions and a small revenue increase.

Instead of $24.8 million, the RAM will call on schools to absorb $14.4 million.

$61.7M shortfall - $28.8M central service redesign - $18.5M reserves = $14.4M impact on school RAM

Remember, to get to the $14.4 million RAM for schools, we applied $2.7
million of school‐based reserves. All schools with reserves are expected to use
them to mitigate staff reductions.

$17.1M RAM - $2.7M school-based reserves = $14.4M impact on school RAM

We have increased the RAM percentage to 3.0 per cent from 2.1. In addition,
the RAM impact on schools improves from an initial estimate of $24.8 million
reduction to a $14.4 million reduction.

During an impossibly difficult budget year, this $10.4 million difference may
save more than 100 teaching positions.

CAPSC Education Panel Discussion: Texts of CBE Presentations Now Available

The Calgary Board of Education has posted a copy of the text of each of the presentations made by Chair Pat Cochrane and Chief Superintendent Naomi Johnson at our CAPSC Education Panel Discussion last week.

Highlights:
-CBE Budgeting process began in early January as their Finance Dept began forecast for 2011/2012
-Provincial Budget for 2011/2012 announced Feb 24
-CBE Finance analyzed detailed budget info from Alberta Education -result is $61.7m deficit
-Government provided funding to cover the AAWE (Alberta Average Weekly Earnings) increase at $28.3M,add an incremental increase in other revenue, almost completely offset by government cuts to specific and general programs at $25.3M, add in deficit from last year at $16.4 and forecast increase in costs of $50.3M, projected shortfall = $61.7M
-All students in all programs will be affected
-First step, admin looked at ways services delivered to schools, $24.9M cut from centrally-managed services which includes psychologists, learning leaders, learning specialists, CBE "administration" is also affected - one in five of the 172 positions cut comes from administration functions like Finance, Human Resources and Communications
-Reserves will be depleted
-Principals will receive their funding allocations on April 21 and will be consulting with their school communities on how their schools will be staffed for the fall
-Principals will report back centrally and more information around impacts will be available
-Full impact on school staffing will not be available until Sept 30 when enrolments are finalized
-Every effort to be clear and open but budget process must be respected, respect staff (some of whom will be losing their job) and principals as they have responsibility to meet needs of students within schools
-commitment to keep public informed as the process moves forward -visit CBE website for the most up to date information
-Without increased funding - sustainable, adequate funding - the CBE estimates accumulated deficit for 2012-13 will be $35M and a year later $85M
-commitment that despite challenging budget,CBE remains focused on educating students, educating each student, every day - no exceptions.

Reminder: CAPSC to host Hon. Dave Hancock, Education Minister, April 6

CAPSC is very pleased to have the Hon. Dave Hancock, Minister of Education, attend our meeting here in Calgary on Wednesday, April 6. He will be joined by Naomi Johnson, CBE Chief Superintendent, and Pat Cochrane, Chair of the Board of Trustees. This will be a lively education panel discussion and we will be taking questions directly from the audience. The meeting will start at 5 pm in the gym at AE Cross School. RSVP: In order to help us plan for this meeting, we would appreciate if you would RSVP so that we can anticipate numbers of attendees. All are welcome - please RSVP at madeleine.baerg@capsc.ca.